Collapsible bottle carrier



1942- N. F. HAAS ET AL 4 COLLAPSIBLE BOTTLE CARRIER Filed April 25, 1941 /NV'NTOR$: NORMAN E HAAS 32 WAYNE F HAAS 23 5 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1942 Em. OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE BOTTLE CARRIER Norman F. Haas and Wayne F. Haas,

rville, Ohi

Application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,866

1 Claim.

This invention relates to article carriers and particularly to collapsible wire carriers suitable for conveniently holding and handling a, number of conventional dairy bottles.

' The primary object of this invention is to provide a holder or carrier of this type which is economical to manufacture and assemble, which is strong and light, and which may be easily folded, stored, or carried substantially flat when not in use.

Another object is to provide a device which may be easily washed and sterilized and which makes an attractive and neat appearance when opened and used.

A further object is to construct such device so that it will carry any number of articles less than the maximum number it is designed for.

Still another object is to provide a device of this type with an automatic snap fastener which will retain the foldable parts in open condition y even when no articles are being carried therein.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description and claim together with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are designated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carrier in its open condition;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the opened device;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of .the carrier with one side folded and the opposite side showing a milk bottle therein.

Figure 4 is an end view partly in section of a frame member partly opened; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the fastening means and a bottom portion of a frame member engaged therewith taken along the lines 5-5 of the Figure l.

The collapsible bottle carrier constituting this invention consists broadly of three parts. There is first the suspension or handle member; secondly, the pair of analogous frame members on the suspension member; and thirdly, the automatic locking means heretofore referred to which holds the member in position. Each of these elements will be described in detail hereinafter and in the order set forth. v

The suspension member is simply a piece of heavy wire that is bent to form an angular frame H and is tapered at the top so as to form a simple neat handle or grip portion l2. The two ends of the wire forming the frame II are fastened together at the bottom by any of the many well known means. The fastening means shown in the drawing, however, consists of a simple piece of metal tubing ll into which both ends of the suspension member wire are inserted and fastened.

A rigid partition portion is mounted on the suspension member ll between the two vertical sides and consists of a pair of horizontal and parallel wires 2| and 25. Two shorter pieces of wire 28 are evenly spaced and mounted vertically on the two horizontal wires 2| and 25 below the grip portion l2. The assembly of wires 2i, 25, and 26, because it substantially forms a wall and actually divides the two bottle carrying compartments, is referred to herein as a partition portion.

The two analogous bottle carrying portions, herein referred to as frame members are mounted on both sides of the suspension member partition portion and inasmuch as both portions are identical, for the sake of brevity and cleamess, only one side will be described in detail.

A frame member consists of a piece of wir 21 angularly bent to form a U. The ends 22 of the wire 21 are hingedly connected to the horizontal bottom portion l3 of the suspension member and at a point close to the upright portions II thereof. 'Two shorter pieces of wire 23 link the bottom horizontal wire portion l3 and the outer portion of the wire 21. These short wires 23 form a base upon which the bottle 3 stands when the carrier is open. The portion 24, herein referred to as the enclosing portion because it engages or encloses the upper part of the bottle 9, is also substantially a U. shaped piece of wire. It, however, is hingedly connected to the horizontal wire 2| instead of to the element l3. When fully opened, the enclosing portion 24 is in a position substantially over the base portion wires 22 and 21. Two short pieces of wire 28 link the outer parts of the wires 21 and 24.

The fastening or locking device herein referred to consists of a small piece of relatively thin but springy sheet metal which is fastened vertically to the horizontal base l3 of the suspension member. This element is indicated in the drawing by the character 3| and has on its outer side, or on the edge adjacent to the upright member Ii and above the loop of the portion 22, a small finger-like piece, pawl or detent 32 which engages the notched piece of metal 33 that is securely fastened to or cut in the loop of the wire 22. When the device is fully opened, the detent 32 fits the notch 34, but when it is desired to fold the article, the finger 32 bends out of the way and permits the part 33 to turn with the wire 22 on the wire I3. The second notch 34a then holds the collapsible parts in the closed position.

While it is desirable, for many reasons, to have the aforementioned automatic locking means on the carrier, it is not, however. absolutely essential that the device be constructed so that it will automatically lock in either extreme positions as it will retain its open position easily when an article, particularly a dairy bottle, is placed therein. Also, for simple storage or flat packing the parts need not be locked in position, but the lock is handy to have when a single device is being carried manually.

While we have described the invention in its preferred form, and while we have used certain specific terms, it is understood that the embodiment of the invention as described is merely illustrative and is not to be construed in a limiting sense, as various changes may be made in the device without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

An article carrier, comprising, an upright suspension member having aligned handie and partition portions thereon; two analogous collapsible wire frame members including right and left bottom, side and enclosing portions mounted on the suspensiom'member, each of the said bottom portions having outer parts thereon and being hingedly connected to the lower part of the suspension member and foldable toward each other and against the said partition portion, each of the said side portions being hingedly connected to the said outer part of an adjacent bottom portion and foldable thereagainst, each of the said enclosing portions having ends thereon and intermediate parts therebetween, the said ends being hingedly connected to the aforesaid partition portion and the said intermediate parts of each enclosing portion being hingedly engageable with an adjacent side portion and thereby being foldable between corresponding bottom and partition portions, the said frame member being assembled and connected to the suspension member in a manner whereby an enclosed space is formed suitable for retaining articles therein when in an open position and whereby the members may be collapsed and folded against each other when in a closed position; and automatic lock members having fixed elements thereof mounted on the part of the suspension member adjacent to the partition portion and co-acting movable elements thereof mounted on the said frame members adjacent to .the bottom portions in a manner permitting the frame members to be held in either the open or the closed position.

NORMAN F; HAAS. WAYNE F. HAAS. 

